Tyrice Thompson's life through the eyes of his family

Tyrice Thompson (right) with his son Takai and his father Richard. Tyrice, a former ASU football player, died on Feb. 2 after being attacked while working as a bouncer at Martini Ranch in Scottsdale. (Photo courtesy of Kathy Starr)

The morning former ASU football player Tyrice Thompson was stabbed outside a Scottsdale bar, his father Richard woke up after he heard a baby cry. He received the bad news just moments later when the phone rang.

“I usually sleep in (the living room), and I heard this baby cry,” he said. “It was kind of like the same cry he had when he was born. I think he was crying because he had been injured.”

Thompson, 27, died of multiple back injuries Feb. 2. after he was attacked while working as a bouncer at Martini Ranch.

Friends and family gathered Sunday to say goodbye to him in an emotional service at his church, Pilgrim Rest, in Phoenix.

Thompson’s sister, Torrie, said she believed he was still looking out for her.

“Today I stand alone without my brother beside me,” she said during the service. “I know he is here now to help me get through this.”

Thompson has gone home to be with God, Torrie said.

“On our last night together, I sat in a chair with my forehead on his arm,” she said. “I woke up several times to watch his declining blood pressure … and it was the hardest night of my life.”

Nancy Taylor, Thompson’s mother, said her son lived a full and active life.

Taylor sings in the church’s choir at Pilgrim Rest. She sang Sunday during the service.

“Singing kind of helps me cope with the situation,” she said. “Tyrice was so passionate with his music, and he would’ve been the first one to say I could do it.”

Thompson played the drums and the piano and was a prolific lyricist. When he was a boy, he also sang in his church's choir.

“Ty kind of picked that up from me,” Taylor said. “I’ve never heard his dad sing.”

His father coaches track and field at South Mountain High School. He was Thompson’s coach during his junior and senior year.

Richard’s living room is filled with memorabilia of his son’s accomplishments. A framed Sun Devil Jersey with the number 81, newspaper articles and a signed football sit in a trophy case along one of the walls.

Thompson was 3 years old when his parents divorced. Richard received residential custody over his son.

“I was a track coach, and everywhere I went, I took him,” he said. “We used to travel a lot during the summer.”

Thompson saw his mother over the weekends and during the holidays.

“It was hard while Tyrice was growing up, and I wasn’t living with him,” Taylor said. “But we were able to interact a lot still.”

Thompson was first introduced to football when he joined the organization Pop Warner at the age of 8. His stepfather, Aaron, took him to practice regularly.

“Tyrice hated the conditioning part,” Taylor said. “I remember one day my husband and I took him to practice … and Ty looked at me through his helmet with his little puppy eyes. But the hitting part, he loved that.”

Thompson’s father and stepfather encouraged him to keep playing.

“Richard and Aaron were always working together,” she said. “They were both instrumental in his football career.”

During his high school years, Thompson played basketball, football and was on track and field team.

“Tyrice wanted to play with ASU so badly,” Taylor said.

The signing date for ASU had passed when Thompson was invited to play at the University of Massachusetts.

“He was pretty much set to go to UMass, and I was upset about it,” Richard said. “We were talking about him being 4,000 miles away, and that was not setting real well with me.”

Dirk Koetter, who coached ASU football at the time, called Richard to tell him Thompson would be receiving the last scholarship he had available.

People thought he was a walk-on because he signed with the school after the signing date, Richard said.

“I told coach Koetter, ‘You have no idea what kind of impact you’ve had on our family,’” he said. “The whole family was elated.”

Thompson played wide receiver while at ASU from 2003 to 2007.

His whole family was present for each one of his games.

“The one game that sticks out in my mind is when he made his first touchdown pass,” Taylor said. “I’m standing yelling, ‘That’s my baby! That’s my baby!’”

The touchdown happened during ASU’s victory over UA at the 2007 Territorial Cup.

Thompson was not only a successful athlete, but a dedicated student, Taylor said.

“He never knew a stranger, and he was always kind to everybody,” she said.

Thompson’s relationship with his sister, Torrie, was very special to him, Taylor said.

Tyrice Thompson and his sister Torrie. Tyrice and his sister were very close. (Photo Courtesy of Kathy Starr)

“They were more than just sister and brother,” she said. “They were best friends.”

Thompson is the youngest of four siblings.

Torrie said she was always Thompson’s No. 1 fan.

“We were a team,” she said. “Never once in my life did he fail me.”

Family was always very important to Thompson, Taylor said.

“We are very family-oriented,” she said. “Tyrice had a very good relationship with all his family.”

A crucial aspect of Thompson’s life was his faith. He went to church every Sunday since he was very young.